A5 Japanese Wagyu Tenderloin

TASTING NOTES FROM THE CURATOR

The tenderloin is a very tender cut of beef, and sits next to the backbone, beneath the ribs. It has two ends: the butt and the “tail.” This A5 Japanese Wagyu Tenderloin is smooth and buttery, with the most incredible marbling. It’s decadent and rich, and full of umami flavor. Our Wagyu comes from the Kyushu and Hokkaido prefectures.

PREPARATION AND PAIRINGS

While there are many dishes that you could have fun with when it comes to steak, the A5 Japanese Wagyu is a little too special to dress up too much. Its incredible buttery flavor deserves to be the star of the show, and thus, will need little to no trimmings. Pan-fry is best, as grilling will result in flare-ups and melted fat. It’s a good thing it’s pretty easy to cook, requiring little technical skill.

• Salt your A5 Japanese Wagyu Tenderloin at least an hour before cooking. Because of its fat content, the salt will need a little more time to work into the muscles. Refrigerate.
• Keep your meat in the refrigerator until the moment you put it in your pan. A5 Japanese Wagyu is known for its beautiful fat marbling, and allowing it to come to room temperature will give you a puddle of melted fat when you cook it.
• Before you start to cook—around 10-15 minutes prior, place your skillet (cast-iron, carbon steel, or stainless steel are all good choices) into an oven. Pre-heating the pan allows for an even heat all along the pan, instead of uneven hotspots from your burner.
• Once ready, put your skillet on high heat on the burner. Again, A5 Japanese Wagyu has a high amount of fat, so you don’t actually need to use oil. If you do, pick a neutral oil with a high smoke point.
• Sear the steak on one side for about three minutes, then flip to sear the other side for two minutes. Best is rare to medium rare.
• Let it rest for about 5 minutes, then cut into strips. A5 Japanese Wagyu is a very rich meat, and even the most seasoned steak lover will find it difficult to eat a whole steak on their own.

Pair it with something light, like a salad, grilled asparagus, roasted broccoli, or sauteed spinach. You don’t want to pair it with something heavy, like potatoes, pasta, or rice.

TRULY, THE BEST OF THE BEST

There is little more legendary in the steak world than A5 Japanese Wagyu. So decadent and so buttery, it’s revered as the best. Truly, there is no question it’s out of this world.

The rarest of all steaks, it accounts to only less than one percent of Japanese beef production. That’s how special it is. Wagyu means “Japanese cow,” and pertains to four native Japanese breeds.

One of them is the Kuroge Washu, or the Japanese Black. This cow is a special cow, unique not only to beef, but to the entire animal world. It is the only cow that metabolizes fat internally, integrating said fat into the muscle, creating that gorgeous marbling it’s famous for. This cow is so unique, that in 1997, the Japanese government banned all export of both its DNA and live specimens completely.

The Japanese grade their beef with a combination of letters and numbers. The letters pertain to the amount of usable meat, with A meaning “superior,” or yielding a high amount. The numbers pertain to fat marbling, color of meat, and the fat distribution, with 5, again, meaning “superior.” It’s a strict grading system, with three graders assigned to rate each beef, and the scores they give are combined for the final rating. These graders must train for two to three years before being deemed proficient.

So yes, an A5 Japanese Wagyu is very rare, and a very big deal.

Storage Instructions

Your cut of A5 Japanese Wagyu Tenderloin comes frozen and vacuum packed. Store in freezer. Thaw only when about to cook. Cooked leftover meat can only be kept in the fridge for 3 to 4 more days. Consume immediately.